Area fastener products (i.e., those that engage over an overlapped area) include adhesives and hook-and-loop fasteners. Another type of area fastener product has an array of discrete male projections that interlock with male projections of a related product. This latter type of fastener is sometimes referred to as ‘self-engaging,’ particularly when the fastener elements of each product are of a similar size and shape. Many self-engaging fastener products employ mushroom-type fastener elements, having heads that overhang in multiple directions. Such mushroom fastener elements are arranged with sufficient density that edges of mating mushrooms snap past each other during engagement.
Self-engaging fastener (SEF) products are generally considered to exhibit high shear and tension resistance, and require higher force for engagement, than typical hook-and-loop fasteners. During disengagement of SEF products by peel it is common to experience a peel force ripple and associated noise, as individual fastener elements snap out of engagement. However, such products can also be desirable in many low-load applications, such as those in which loop fibers are not desired.
Improvements in area fastener products employing male-male fastener element engagement are desired.